Wednesday, 21 October 2015

Liberal Government goes easy on CSG Polluters

The NSW Government is today trying to sneak legislation through Parliament which would significantly reduce penalties for Coal Seam Gas and Petroleum polluters, restricting the powers of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority to prosecute offenders.

The Liberal Party has buried deep in its bill, a provision to remove severe penalties for CSG and Petroleum polluters " "wilfully or negligently causes any substance to leak, spill or otherwise escape in a manner that harms or is likely to harm the environment" . The ability to prosecute polluters before the Supreme Court and the imposition of meaningful penalties such as prison sentences and steep financial penalties will not apply.

The Government is removing meaningful deterrents for CSG and Petroleum miners and protecting those guilty of damaging the environment in NSW from penalty.

Whilst anyone else responsible for a spill or leak, which causes harm to the environment, can face severe penalties like prison time, the same level of penalties not apply to CSG miners.

This is why the public loses faith in politics. The People of NSW should have confidence that the Government will stand up to CSG miners in NSW and enforce environmental protections.

We deserve a Government which guarantees that CSG and Petroleum miners who damage our environment will face severe penalties. Offenders should feel the full force of the law.

The Labor Party supports a moratorium on CSG mining in NSW until all of the Chief Scientist’s recommendations are adopted. This is what I told parliament today. https://youtu.be/ELmn1aq7zJ0

About Ron Hoenig

Ron Hoenig MP is the State Member for Heffron in the NSW Parliament.
He was elected to Parliament at a by-election on the 25 August 2012.
Prior to entering Parliament he was the Mayor of the City of Botany Bay, a position he held for more than 30 years. He was, and still is regarded by many as one of the most progressive Mayors in the Sydney metropolitan region.
He is a barrister and prior to entering parliament was a Public Defender for the State of New South Wales.
Ron Hoenig was born in Sydney and raised in Eastlakes, attending Eastlakes Public School, Daceyville Public School and The J.J. Cahill Memorial High School in Mascot.